Optical connectors are important components in fiber optical systems. Stable, intimate contacts between optical cables are crucial for reliable transmission of signals across the connection. The ability of two cable ends that are to be secured together by a connector to move relative to one another is often characterized by the degrees-of-freedom one end has relative to another. A cable end totally unconstrained relative to another has six degrees-of-freedom, which are often expressed in terms of three translational and three rotational coordinates. Ideally, the ends being connected have no degree-of-freedom relative to each other.
Optical cables are typically spliced in an end-to-end fashion. The connectors typically are designed to hold the opposing ends of optical cables to be spliced in compressive stress when the cables are connected. Typically in the prior art, to achieve stable contact between the ends of the optical cables, the ends of the cables and the areas surrounding the ends are made planar. However, any unevenness in the planar surfaces or contaminant particles, which may be introduced during the process of splicing the cables, will tend to give the connected cable end added degrees-of-freedom, i.e., to permit the ends to tilt relative to one another. The added degrees-of-freedom is generally undesirable for both optical connections that are relatively immobile (such as those for buried optical cables) and those that tend to be flexed or moved often (such as those connecting handheld optical probes to base stations). However, it is particularly undesirable for the latter as the movement of the connections will more likely expose the connector to impact and cause the connected cable ends to rock or shift relative to one another when the connector is moved.
The invention disclosed herein is aimed at providing a method and device for establishing reliable connection between optical cables, substantially without the drawbacks of the conventional approaches.